6 March 2013

After what has seemed like an eternity, the
northern hemisphere (read that The Great White North) can finally breathe
a sigh of relief. Heavy winter coats are lifted along with people’s
spirits. With the turn of the calendar Spring has finally
arrived!!!!Although in truth winter never really seemed to arrive
here in the valley this year. It was mild, warm and almost snow free!! We are
hovering between seasons here in the valley, the robins are back and they will
be counting daffodils soon. Nevertheless it’s time to give winter staples
"the boot" and dedicate suppertime to everything the change in
seasons has to offer.

Spring is when everything seems to come
alive!!!!! The days are longer and the markets begin to burst with the colours
of the bountiful fruits and vegetables of the season. For those who are lucky
enough to live near a farmers market as I am, we would be hard pressed not to
be aware of which fruits are at the peak of their season. Pods of fresh peas
and stalks of beautifully green asparagus will cook beautifully in a sauce of
lemon zest, butter, mint and tossed with pappardelle or fettucini noodles. This
is the time to enjoy fresh rhubarb, sweet garden peas and furled fiddleheads.
It is the season for escarole and a wide variety of lettuce handplucked from
the garden for green salads. The delightful fragrance of chives, mint, chervil
and tarragon fill the air to season your dishes. All of these tastes of Spring
are bursting from our gardens, forests, markets and window boxes. I am chomping
at the bit.

Teanna of Spork and Foon says, "The
advantages to cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients are endless. The produce
tastes richer, fresher, and is more nutritious. The beauty of cooking with
ingredients that are freshest in the Spring months are their pure
simplicity. The standout flavours are the fresh, natural ingredients
themselves... the sweet taste of a carrot or the pop of a freshly shelled pea.
Toss arugula with cherries, red wine vinegar, a touch of extra virgin olive
oil, freshly ground black pepper, and thyme with some creamy goat cheese and
you will have a dynamic spring starter. Top poached halibut with an orange
vinaigrette and serve with asparagus sautéed in a bit of olive oil and topped
with a dash of sea salt and shaved parmesan cheese or sauté fresh peas with
spring onions in butter and delicate chervil for a side that is surprising ripe
with flavour."

For these reasons we
are so glad you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light
Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where a group
of ladies and one gent in two neighbouring countries get together on the
first Wednesday of every month to create a delicious meal from appetizers to
dessert with a theme in mind. This is our fourth year of the Virtual Supper
Club where we continue to share a love for Cooking Light magazine with an
emphasis on healthy eating and living. This is a team effort. For the month of March we have been seen "wearing of the green" for St. Patricks Day enjoying each others
company virtually and honouring the season with this
months theme "All Things Green" which was chosen by
one of our newest members Susan of The Spice
Garden.

Although distance always
prevents us from gathering as a group in each others homes we have enjoyed
sharing a well balanced meal through our Virtual Supper Club this month and
hope you have enjoyed our healthy Spring menu. These dishes from
Cooking Light magazine are sure to bring "daffodil smiles"
to your own table.

I brought along a lightened up Creamy Feta
Spinach Dip. If you enjoy our favourite artichoke dip you will love this lightened up version. If you added some Spring onions it would taste very similar to one of my favourite appetizers spanakopita. Serve it with toasted or untoasted flatbread or pita bread.

Spoon yogurt onto several layers of heavy-duty
paper towels; spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels,
and let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a food processor using a
rubber spatula. Add the cheeses, sour cream, and garlic, and process until
smooth, scraping sides of bowl once. Spoon yogurt mixture into a medium bowl,
and stir in the spinach, minced dill, and pepper. Cover and chill. Garnish with
fresh dill, if desired.

You are reading this
post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com.
Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to
the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast

I don't know, Val. We in Florida are due for yet another cold front Thursday. And we just had one last weekend...in the 40's at night. (My daughter was visiting from NYC and was hoping for warm weather. No luck there.)But dips work any time of the year and a tasty yet healthy one like yours is perfect. I do love serving toasted whole wheat pita with dips.

Love this idea! I'm looking forward to all of these posts, as I definitely need to lighten up the fare I have been preparing with spring rapidly approaching...though it feels far way given we have about a foot of snow on our lawn. I do need something to bring to a St. Patty's party later in the month...I think this will have to be it!

What a wonderful healthy spin on spinach dip, Val! I will be serving this as a starter before our Easter dinner! I've been making pita breads this week and by the time Easter comes around, I think I'll have them down pat!

I cannot wait to try this dip Val . . . I'm crazy about spinach (and artichoke) dips and so you've got me wanting to experiment further with more healthful choices. My post is up and running and I cannot tell you how happy I was with this lighter, and green recipe for this month's get-together. What a wonderful theme (as always!)

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.